To refurbish or leave it in its antique state?

[Donleybill]

Bought an old antique popcorn engine the other day. The engine is missing the govener, piston and some fasteners. This engine still has the original Crome finish, loose red paint on the flywheel, years of dirt and grime.
I plan on making all missing parts to the original design and have this engine running as new.
Q, Should I leave this old engine in its original as is antique condition or should I refurbish the entire engine.

 

[SmithDoor]

I hear that all time.
It is yours and do what think is best for you.
I restore so it looks new so if plating needs plating I plate.
FYI Most older plating was Nickel plating and is simple to do at home.

Dave

Bought an old antique popcorn engine the other day. The engine is missing the govener, piston and some fasteners. This engine still has the original Crome finish, loose red paint on the flywheel, years of dirt and grime.
I plan on making all missing parts to the original design and have this engine running as new.
Q, Should I leave this old engine in its original as is antique condition or should I refurbish the entire engine.

 

[goldstar31]

I would restore it to work but not to destroy its old provenance.

I have an old solid gold Watham pocket watch which had not worked since a member of my late wife's family dies in 1938. Regardless of the restoration cost, I wear it with my late wife's wedding ring and my wedding ring on my waist-coats for formal dinners.
History is important, I have my late wife's auburn plaints hat she was wearing when she was a little 11 year old school girl on stage in 1949 when I was 19 and a very cocksure Goldstar 31 in the audience
Decades would pass, we would meet again and the rest is two wonderful children and four grand children.
The family have the old cherished car number plates on their present cars.

 

[Steamchick]

Hi DonleyBill. This is an "age-old question". The Aircraft guys are probably the best guide - as to restore a flyer needs certification.
If you want to restore to working condition, there are things that must be made new as the old ones are simply un-safe.
There are things with provenance (hence imaginary value) that they can fit - without spoiling the airworthiness - that they use to define the aircraft as Original "restored". Some of these retain their original finishes and patina, etc. But "crud" and unsatisfactory finishes are removed and replaced.
And there are totally modern new things that represent the old in function but are definitely not.
The finished thing is appreciated for what it does, not the fact that it is "partly new". The same for Motorcycles, cars, etc. used on public roads, etc.
Museum pieces on the other end of the scale are almost never re-painted - unless there is no paint worth keeping. They satisfy by being actually original. - I had an almost worthless 1960 motorcycle in that condition, but sold it way above the value because the paint and chrome were so good that 25 years on it could be restored by polishing, and a little bit of touching-up of paint chips!). I didn't define the price, I was simply made an offer I could not refuse!
None of us can tell you what to do, but please consider its rarity, (Old paint removed is gone forever), is each aspect adding or detracting from its "worth to humanity", and really what do you want to do with it. A runner that is really old and original is often more attractive to others than a glossy show-piece!
I know someone with a TOTALLY UNRESTORED 1925 car (including paint and plating - or just unfinished metal!)... maintained and running on the road. Normally garaged, they drive it to shows and gather large crowds because it is still original and in roadworthy condition. Usually the only un-restored car at a show of more than 1000 exhibits. NOT trailered to shows, but driven there and back. Never wins a prize, but wins something special and heartfelt in the audience. A very human experience.
So is your engine a museum rarity? - Keep it with original finish wherever possible.
Or is it sufficiently common you want it better than "Showroom" condition - to win prizes for being pretty - and showing you have the cash to spend on all the plating, painting, etc? - I have seen engines that have cast surfaces machined, polished and painted that would never have had that but for someone's desire to show-off a "pretty" restoration.
A hard decision mate.
K2

 

[chrsbrbnk]

there's a pretty fair sized contingent of creators popcorn buffs out there might be worth asking about

 

[SmithDoor]

On cooking pans that are copper they coared the inside with tin. This not a plate they would hear copper pan and melt tin inside giving the coating.

Dave

Bought an old antique popcorn engine the other day. The engine is missing the govener, piston and some fasteners. This engine still has the original Crome finish, loose red paint on the flywheel, years of dirt and grime.
I plan on making all missing parts to the original design and have this engine running as new.
Q, Should I leave this old engine in its original as is antique condition or should I refurbish the entire engine.

 

[goldstar31]

We seem to have drifted away more than 7000 years to days when copper and tin were common.
Tin was the covering to copper things because copper was subject to tarnich and tin as we know isn't too affected by acids in the same way. It's recorded in the Old Testament and the hollow pillars of Boaz`nd Jaxhin have their place in free Masonry and the Tarot. For those who do not belomg to 'The Craft', it is no secret. Naked little boys workning at a dangerous sea level exttracted copper on the Great Orme in North Wales- certainly i Roman Times and tin, further South was extracted and is the reason - if we have forgotten, is why all these designs for pumping out sea water is still copied.
As I mentioned earlier 'tinning' was and still is commonplace in Europe. Lisbon( Lisboa) has streets of coppersmiths. The Gypsies on the Le Po nt D'Avignon on the River Rhone will pick your pocket. or sell you a tinned dish. Across in the snows is or was the frozen body Otzi in what once seemed primeval ice.

The copper murder weapon was copper of bronze and whether he was on the Italiam or the Austrian side is still conjecture. The news may not have reached across the Pond but Otzi seems to have a connection with copper and tin.
My limit on such things is a Die shaker of aropund the early 1800's. Die, incidentally is the plural for dice . But the copper is not tinned and it is covered with silver Georgian coins and is silvered not tinned.
Over the many family cleaning probably with sand, there is little left of the silver and it graces one of my =toilets.
But from a collector's point of view it dates back with some of my oil paintings of the early days of steam.

We know that John Dobson was not only an architrct as such in the North of England but was instrumental in designing the Newcastle Railway Station and close associations with George and son Robert Stephenson the railway pioneers and one of paintings- sadly unsigned- is of what is claimed to be the first railway locomotive to cross the Botder Counties bridge over the River Tweed into Scotland ay Berwick on Tweed which is supposed to be still at war with Germany. Well that is the story and possibly of more historical interest than whether or not to mend someones rejected toy.
Me? Quite simply the guardian of information

Normam

 

[dazz]

Hi
I restore some old stuff. I clean them and do what needs to be done to make them work. I aim to retain the patina of age. It is the patina that differentiates a genuine old working machine from a cheap modern copy.

 

[SmithDoor]

I like see how look the day it was manufacturer.
I have to many thing with rust.

I do not like copies but typically a closer look will give it way.
Like the screw was made on screw machines today the stamped.

Dave

Hi
I restore some old stuff. I clean them and do what needs to be done to make them work. I aim to retain the patina of age. It is the patina that differentiates a genuine old working machine from a cheap modern copy.